Sheet separating and feeding mechanism.



No. 805,098. PATENTED NOV..21, 1905. G. E. SAGE.

SHEET SEPARATING AND'FEEDING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1902.

3 SHEETSSHBET 1.

HHQI P10 fwemiz) No. 805,098. r I PATBNTED NOV. 21, 1905. v

G. E. SAGE.

SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MEGHANISM.

APPLIOATION IILED SEPT. 13. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. C. B. SAGE.

SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SAGE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed September 13, 1902. Serial No. 123,236.

To all w/wm, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SAGE, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sheet Separating and Feeding Mechanism, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine for transferring sheets successively from a plurality of piles and associating sheets from the different piles and advancing the associated sheets which shall be rapid and sure in its operation.

The invention includes improvements in pneumatic sheet-separating means especially different piles accurately in the desired relation to each other, means for advancing the associated sheets, means for applying adhesive for securing together associated sheets, and various features of construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

A full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description of a preferred construction embodying the various features thereof, and such a description will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing such a preferred construction, in Which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a sheet separating and associating machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a front view of one of the sheet-separating mechanisms. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4 of Fig. 2 and on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on line 6-of Fig. 2. I

The machine shown in the drawings is constructed for transferring and associating sheets from two piles and includes two separating and transferring mechanisms A and B, including holders, from which the top sheets are successively transferred and delivered to associating and feeding devices. The transferring mechanism A may be of any suitable construction, but. is preferably and as shown substantially as shown and described in an application filed by me November 1, 1901, Serial No. 80,789.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents a holder for supporting and guiding a pile of sheets a, which holder comprises a guidingframe 11 and a movable bottom or support 12, which is fed upward for maintaining the uppersheet of the pile in position to be engaged by the separating and transferring devices, as by means of a spring 15, connected with the support by means of a chain 13, passing over a pulley 14. This upward movement of the support 12 and the pile of sheets is normally limited by means of a stop 16, arranged at the rear side of the holder, so as to project slightly over the pile of sheets and engage the upper sheet. The sheets are removed successively from the pile by'means of a-suction transferring device comprising a suction-cup 35, carried by an arm 36, which is pivotally connected to and supported by a supportinglever 37, mounted on a rock-shaft 81, said shaft also carrying a rearwardly-extending arm 38, having an antifriction-roll bearing on a cam-disk 39 and held in engagement therewith by a spring 40, the cam-disk 39 being fast on a shaft 41. The arm 36 is caused to swing forwardly'and rearwardly by means of an eccentric 42 on the shaft 41, acting through a pitman 43, pivoted to the arm 36 and connected to the eccentric-strap. The cam 39 is formed so as to cause the supporting-lever 37 to give the suction-cup a slight downward reciprocation as it nears its outer position over the pile of sheets in the holder, and the cam 39 and eccentric 42 are so timed that after the suction-cup has seized the top sheet in the holder it will have a slight outwardmovement as it begins to rise. The suction-cup is connected, by means of a flexible tube 45, with the vacuum apparatus, and communication be tween the suction-cup and the vacuum apparatus is controlled by means of a three-way valve 46, mounted on the arm 36 near the suction-cup. This valve is operated by means of an arm 47, which as the suction-cup is moved into position to seize a sheet on the pile is engaged by a stop 48 and thrown to move the valve so as to establish communication between the suction-cup and the vacuum apparatus and which as the suction-cup comes to the position at which the sheet carried thereby is to be released engages the stop 49, which throws it in the opposite direction to move the valve so as to close communication between the suction-cup and the vacuum apparatus and open communication between the suction-cup and the atmosphere, and thereby effect the release of the sheet. An auxiliary suction-cup 55 is supported in position and operated to engage the uppermost sheet of the pile near the front edge thereof and raise the same slightly, and thereby admit air beneath said sheet,.and thus insure it, and it alone, being properly grasped by the suctioncup 35. This auxiliary suction-cup 55 is connected with the suction apparatus by a flexible tube 56 and is carried by an arm 57, pivotally connected to a pivoted support 58, which is mounted on a shaft 59 and held in its normal position by means of a rod 60 and spring 61, the spring and the stop 62 on the rod 60 bearing on a bracket 63. The support 58 is thus normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1, but is capable of a slight forward movement against the tension of the spring 61. Secured on the shaft 59 is an operating-arm 65, which carries an antifrictionroll in position to bear on the under side of the arm 57, which latter is properly formed as a cam, so that as the arm 65 moves forward the suction-cup 55 will be allowed .to move downward under the tension of a spring 66 until it is in position to grasp the uppermost sheet, and as the arm 65 moves rearward the suction-cup will be raised a short distance. The arm 65 also engages a slotted arm 67, by which is operated a three-way valve 68, which controls the passage leading to the suction-cup 55, and these parts are so arranged that as the suction-cup comes into position to grasp the sheet the valve will be moved to establish communication between the suction-cup and the vacuum apparatus, and as the suctioncup approaches its upper position this communication will be cut off and communication established between the suction-cup and the atmosphere for the release of the sheet. The arm 65 also carries a stop or finger 70, which as the arm moves rearward is projected beneath the edge of the sheet which has been raised by the suction-cup 55 and over the edge of the pile for the purpose of limiting the upward movement of the pile while the stop 16 is raised to release the top sheet. The vacuum apparatus, as shown, comprises a vacuumpump 90, operated by the eccentric 42, and an equalizing-cylinder 91, having a piston under spring tension to move the piston'outward, and which cylinder is in communication, through a pipe 92 and check-valve 93, with the pump-cylinder. The flexible tubes 45 and 56 communicate with this equalizing-cylinder 91, as by communicating with the pipe 92. These parts are all substantially as shown and described in my application above referred to, and for a fuller description of such parts reference is made to said application.

Referring now to the separating and transferring mechanism B, the holder 100 for supporting and guiding thepile of sheets I) comprises a guiding-frame 111 and a movable bottom or support 112, which is fed upward, for maintaining the upper sheet of the pile in po sition to be engaged by the separating and transferring devices, the support being for this purpose connected, by means of a chain 113, passing over a pulley 114, with a spring 115, whereby the support is under a constant tension to move upward. As the support moves upward and the height of the pile of blanks diminishes the tension of the spring willbecomegraduallyless. Theupwardmovement of the support is normally limited by means of a stop 116, arranged, preferably, at the rear side of the holder and so as to project slightly over the pile of sheets and engage the upper sheet, as shown in Fig. 5. The support 112 is shown as mounted to slide on guide-rods 120, by which the guiding-frame 111 is supported, and the support preferably carries a foot-treadle 121, by which it may be drawn d'ownward against the tension of the spring to receive a new supply of sheets. The sheets are removed successively from the pile by means of a suction-transferrer similar to that of the mechanism A, comprising a suction-cup 135, carried by an arm 136, pivotally connected to and supported by a supportinglever 137, which is carried by the rock-shaft 81. The arm 136 is caused to swing upward and rearwardly by means of an eccentric 142 on the shaft 41, acting through a pitman 143, pivoted to the arm 136 and connected to the eccentric-strap. By the rocking of the shaft 81 the suction-cup is given a slight downward reciprocation as it nears its outer position over the pile of sheets in the holder, and the eccentric 142 is so timed with relation to the rocking of the shaft 81 that after the suctioncup has seized the top sheet of the pile it will have a slight outward movement as it begins to rise. The suction-cupis connected by aflexible tube 145 with the vacuum apparatus, and communication between this suction-cup and the vacuum apparatus is controlled by means of a three-way valve 146, mounted on the arm 136 and operated in the same manner as the valvs 46 for controlling the suction-cup 35 by means of an arm 147, which engages stops 148 and 149 as the suction-cup is moved into position to seize a sheet on the pile and to the position at which the sheet carried thereby is to be released, respectively. To insure the transferring from the pile of sheets of butasingle sheet at a time, this transferring mechanism B is preferably provided with auxiliary separating devices comprising means for slightly buckling the top sheet and raising a portion thereof from the pile and means for further sep- IUC arating the sheet from the pile prior to the commencement of the transferring movement of the suction-cup 135. For this purpose I preferably provide a buckling-finger 200, adapted to engage the upper sheet of the pile, preferably near one of the front corners thereof, and to have aslight movement inward away from the edge of the pile, so as to cause the forward portion of the top sheet to buckle upward, as represented in Fig. 4, the buckling-finger being for this purpose carried by a support guided by means of a guide-rod 201 and actuated by means of an eccentric 202, so as to have a movement successively downward and inward and upward and outward. The shoe of the buckling-finger may be of any suitable form and have an engaging surface of any suitable material to properly grip the surface of the sheet. The eccentric 202 is carried by a shaft 203, which is driven from a shaft 204 by means of bevel-gears 205. The shaft 204 is driven from the shaft 41 by means of a sprocket-chain 206, the shafts 204 and 203 making one revolution for each revolution of the shaft 41. For further separating the top sheet from the pile 1 preferably provide a separating-finger 210, which is projected beneath the portion of the sheet which has been raised by the action of the buckling-finger 200, and this finger is preferably mounted on a shaft 211, which is actuated, by means of a rock-shaft 212, through bevel-gears 213, to cause the finger 210 to oscillate between the positions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 5 and in time to cause the separating-v finger to swing inward from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 just after the forward edge of the top sheet has been raised by the buckling-finger, and thereby to raise the central portion of the top sheet from the pile, so that it,and it alone,may be securely grasped by the suction-cup 135 as the latter reaches its lowermost or sheet-grasping position. The separating-finger 210 also acts to limit the upward movement of the pile while the stop 116 is raised for releasing the top sheet. The stop 116 is raised for releasing the successive top sheets by means of an arm 180, fast on the shaft 81, which arm is connected to stop 116 by a connecting rod 183 and cross-lever 184. The stop will thus be raised as the suction-cup 135 moves downward to grasp the sheet and will be returned to operative position as the suction-cup moves upward again. The top sheet having been partially separated from the pile by the action of the buckling-finger 200 and separating-finger 210, as above described, and the suction-cup 135 having moved forward and downward to seize the sheet and the stop 116 having been raised to release the top sheet, the suction-cup will then continue its forward lateral movement for a short distance and will then swing rearwardly to carry the sheet clear of the pile and to the position in which it is released from the suction-cup.

As the suction-cup carries one sheet from the pile the stop 116 moves downward again to engage the top of the pile and the separating-finger 210 moves outward. to allow the next sheet to be buckled'by the buckling-finger 200, the separating-finger then swinging inward beneath the sheet last buckled as the suction -,cup moves forward and downward again toward its sheet-grasping position. A slight forward movement of the suction-cup 135 as it begins its upward movement after seizing the sheet serves, as in the case of the suction-cup 35, to carry the sheet clear of the stop 116 and is also of advantage in serving to .free the sheet completely from the next sheet of the pile, since the sheet is thus first given a movement'toward the side of the pile at which the edge has been raised and air has been admitted between it and the next sheet.

The shaft 212 is operated, by means of an eccentric 214 on the shaft 204, through a connecting-rod 215, connected to the strap of the eccentric and to an arm on the shaft 212.

In order to prevent any possibility of more than one sheet at a time being buckled by the finger 200, I preferably provide a sharpened retainer 220, adapted to bear on the top of the pile near the edge thereof beyond the buckling-finger and to extend through the upper sheets of the pile. This retainer 220 is preferably in the formof a pin vertically adjustable'in a bracket 221, which is adjustably mounted, as shown in Fig. 5.

Any suitable means may be provided for receiving the sheets from the transferring mechanisms and associating them. Preferably, however, means are provided for receiving successive sheets I) from the mechanism B and transferring them into position to have a sheet a from the suction transferring mechanism A deposited thereon and then transferring the associated sheets to the machine or apparatus to which they are to be successively fed. For this purpose the separating and transferring mechanisms A and B are preferably arranged so as to deposit the sheets on a table or way 150, along which sheets are advanced by means of fingers 151 on endless chains 152. The feeding-fingers 151 are so. spaced and the chains 152 driven at such a speed that a sheet deposited on the way by the suction-cup 135 will be fed along the way in time to have a sheet from the suction-cup 35 superposed thereon. The way 150 is preferably provided with longitudinal guides 153, spaced a distance apart corresponding to the width of the sheets 6, and guides 154, spaced a distance apart corresponding to the width of the sheets a. The guides 153 preferably extend beyond the point at which blanks a are deposited on the way, and the transferrer 35 preferably operates to deposit the sheets a successively on the way 150 before the sheets 7) have been moved quite to position to register therewith, the sheet a being then partially supported by guides 153, while the sheet I) continues its movement beneath the sheet a until the feeding-fingers come into engagement with the edge of the sheet a, whereupon the two sheets thus associated will be advanced together. Deflecting plates or arms 85 and 185 are preferably provided for engaging the edge of the sheets as the latter are carried into position over the way 150 by the transferrers to aid in detaching the sheets from the suction-cups and insure their dropping fiat on the way.

1 preferably provide means for applying paste to the sheets from one of the holders for securing the associateds heets together. For this purpose 1 preferably provide means for applying the paste to the successive top sheets of the pile of sheets 6. Any suitable pasting device may be employed; but 1 preferably provide a pair of rotary pasters 230, mounted on a rotary-shaft 231, so that as the rotary shaft revolves the pasters will be brought into contact with the surface of the top sheet of the pile, near one edge thereof, and with a wiping movement toward the edge of the sheet. The pasters 230 are preferably adjustably mounted in brackets 232, adjustable on the shaft 231. The pasters may thus be set to engage the sheet with the desired pressure and at the proper time with relation to the movement of the suction-cup 1-35, the pasters preferably moving in contact with the sheet as the latter is grasped by the suction-cup. Paste may be supplied to the paster by means of a paste-supply roll 233, rotating in the open bottom of a fountain 234, as shown, or by other suitable means. The paster-shaft 231 is driven by means of bevelgears 235 from the shaft 204:,and the paste-supply roll is driven by means of gears 236 from the shaft 231. If it is desired to apply paste at both ends of the sheet, paste devices similar to those described may be supplied at the other end of the holder. As shown in the drawings, the shaft 203 is extended across the holder and carries a paster 237, mounted thereon in a manner similar to that in which the pasters 230 are mounted. and this paster receives paste from a paste-supply roll 233, similar to that already described and driven from the shaft 203. This arrangement provides in a convenient and simple manner for operating the paster 237; but it will be seen that its applying movement is away from instead of toward the edge of the sheet.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and to which the foregoing description has been mainly confined, but that it includes changes and modifications thereof within the claims.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a plurality of sheet separating and transferring devices for transferring sheets successively from a plurality of piles, means for applying paste to the successive top sheets of one of the piles, means for associating sheets transferred by said devices, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a plurality of sheet separating and transferring devices for transferring sheets successively from a plurality of piles, means for applying paste to the successive top sheets of one of the piles, and conveying devices for conveying the sheets as delivered from said pile into position to have the sheets from another pile superposed thereon, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the surface of the top sheet to lift one edge thereof from the pile before it is seized by the transferrer, and means for raising the transferrer tocarry the sheet from the pile and for simultaneously moving the transferrer toward the side of the pile at which the edge of the sheet is raised, substantially as described.

1. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the surface of the top sheet to lift one edge. thereof from the pile before it is seized by the transferrer, and means for moving the transferrer after it has seized the sheet transversely to the direction of movement of the buckling device and toward the side of the pile at which the edge of the sheet is raised, substantially as described. 7

5. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the upper surface of the top sheet to lift one edge of said sheet from the 'pile before it is seized by the transferrer, and means independent of the transferrer for further separating the top sheet from the pile after the edge of the sheet has been lifted by the buckling device, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the upper surface of the top sheet for lifting one edge thereof from the pile before it is engaged by the transferrer, and a separating finger adapted to enter beneath the top sheet for further separating it from the pile after the edge of the sheet has been lifted by the buckling device, the suction-transferrer being arranged to engage a lifted portion of thesheet, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the upper surface of the top sheet for lifting one edge thereof from the pile before it is engaged by the transferrer, and an oscillating separating finger adapted to enter beneath the top sheet for further separating it from the pile after the edge of the sheet has been lifted by the buckling device, the suction-transferrer being arranged to engage a lifted portion of the sheet, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, means for lifting one edge of the top sheet before it is seized by the transferrer, a separating-finger adapted to enter beneath the top sheet for further separating the same from the pile, and means for moving the transferrer after it has seized the sheet toward the side of the pile at which the edge of the sheet has been lifted, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a suction-trans ferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a

buckling device acting by engagement with the top sheet of the pile to lift one edge thereof before it is seized by the transferrer, means for further separating the top sheet from the pile, and means for moving the transferrer after it has seized the sheet toward the side of the pile at which the edge of the sheet is lifted, the transferrer being arranged to engage a lifted portion of the sheet, substantially as described.

10. The combination of means for feeding a pile of sheets upward, a stop for limiting the upward movement of the pile, a suctiontransferrer for taking sheets successively from the pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the upper surface of the top sheet to lift the same from the pile before it is seized by the transferrer, means for raising said stop to release the top of the sheet, and a separating-finger adapted to enter beneath the lifted edge of the top sheet for further separating the same from the pile and for limiting the upward movement of the pile while the stop is raised, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the upper surface of the top sheet for lifting one edge thereof from the pile before it is engaged by the transferrer, a separating-finger adapted to enter beneath the top sheet for further separating it from the pile, a transferrer for taking sheets successively from another pile, and means for associating the sheets delivered by said transferrer, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the upper surface of the top sheet for lifting one edge thereof from-the pile before it is engaged by the transferrer, a separating-finger adapted to enter beneath the top sheet for further separating it from the pile, and means for associating the sheets delivered by said transferrer with other sheets, substantially as described.

13. The combination of a suction-transferrer for taking sheets successively from a pile, a buckling device acting by engagement with the upper surface of the top sheet to lift one edge thereof before it is seized by the transferrer, means for further separating the top sheet from the pile, and means for applying paste to the successive top sheets of the pile before they are removed therefrom, substantially as described.

14. The combination of means for transferring sheets successively from a pile, a rotary paster for applying paste to the successive top sheets of the pile having a pasting movement toward the edge of the pile, and means other than the paster for lifting the edge of the sheet before it is seized by the transferring means, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a stationary support or way, means for supplying sheets thereto at different portions thereof, feeders moving along said'way and adapted to engage the edge of sheets deposited thereon, for the purpose of advancing said sheets along the way, and means for supporting sheets supplied to the way at one portion thereof to permit other sheets to be advanced beneath them by the feeders substantially as described.

16. The combination of a way, means for supplying sheets thereto at different portions thereof, feeders moving along said way and adapted to engage the edge of sheets deposited thereon, for the purpose of advancing said sheets along the way, and guides 153 for guiding the sheets delivered at one portion of the way and supporting other sheets to permit the first said sheets to be advanced beneath the last said sheets, substantially as described.

17. The combination of a way 150 having guides 153 and 154:, the guides 153 being extended to overlap the guides 154 and to form supports for sheets delivered to the way be tween the guides 154;, feeding-fingers 1,51 moving along said way, and means for delivering sheets to said way at different portions therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, CHARLES E. SAGE. Witnesses:

A. L. KENT, W. H. KENNEDY. 

